Devadoothan, the iconic musical mystery film which features Mohanlal in the lead role, had its re-release in digital 4K format, recently. The Sibi Malayil directorial penned by Raghunath Paleri was a colossal failure at the box office when it had its original release in 2000. However, the classic film is finally getting much-deserved success at the box office, after 24 years of its original release. The newfound success of Devadoothan is indeed a major milestone in Malayalam cinema.

Devadoothan sets a new record with its re-release

Earlier, a couple of popular films including the Mohanlal starrer Spadikam succeeded in recreating their magic at the box office, with a grand re-release. But, all those films which managed to return to the theatres, were much-loved blockbusters. But, with Devadoothan, things are a little different. Sibi Malayil’s musical mystery thriller, which is now receiving immense love from audiences, was not a commercial success at the time of its original release. The makers of Devadoothan decided to just trust the new-age Malayali audiences and take a second chance with the film, believing in its merit.

This big decision was proven right, as the audiences, especially the young crowd, who missed a chance to witness the Devadoothan magic in theatres, welcomed the film wholeheartedly. The Mohanlal starrer is indeed the first-ever flopped film, which received a second chance from the audiences, in the history of Malayalam cinema. It is solely because of the audiences who became aware of its fine making and learned to appreciate it over the years. This also proves that Devadoothan was indeed way ahead of its time, both creatively and technically.

More Malayalam re-releases on cards?

The successful re-release of Devadoothan has reportedly inspired the makers of quite a few forgotten classics, to re-release those films in theatres. However, the confirmed re-releases are of some of the biggest hits in Malayalam cinema. Fazil's classic film Manichitrathazhu is set to re-release on August 17, 2024, on the special occasion of Chingam 1. If the reports are to be believed, quite a few iconic films, including Mohanlal’s Devasuram, Mammootty’s Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, multi-starrer Summer In Bethlehem, and many more might hit the theatres yet again, in the upcoming months.